Make it mandatory to respect yourself and others. Be a role model for this standard.
Problems
Peer Pressure / respect
Where has it gone?
Lack of respect is probably the biggest reason why all of the topics on this site exist. If you have respect for yourself, you will never do anything to hurt yourself. This would also open your eyes in understanding that others would want to be treated the same way.
Disrespect comes from the little things like having a lack of manners and looking down upon lower classes to the larger things like bullying and peer pressure. Unfortunately, a low level of maturity for many teens make respect a hard concept to understand.
Problems in the disrespect circle
When you find friends, you expect that your new group will respect each other. In many cases, they do and you can turn to your friends for anything. Those are the most positive and memorable friendships to have. However, some kids get in with the wrong crowd.
Although, a teen may feel as if they are “friends” with their new group, they can be unaware of the disrespect present. It may have been peer pressure that brought them into a circle of people that do drugs, bully, and cause trouble. So, what does it mean when “friends” are accepting you because you are contributing with their negative behaviors?
It means there is no respect present in that circle because they want you to hurt yourself and others. Understand that this doesn't always mean a physical kind of hurt either. The wrong crowd will hurt you mentally by preventing a drive to achieve positive goals in your life. What kind of friend is that?
Being disrespectful can cause intimidation and uncomfort. At home, this disrespect could be caused from arguments and violence, thus possibly causing a shaky direction for your child. At school, disrespect could cause a hesitation in wanting to learn. There may be that fear of wondering what people will think because you want to improve yourself. Tell me, when was being a “good” student a cool label to have?
It should be taught early
Learning to respect each other should be taught at home. Unfortunately, this is not always possible due to some families that have inside problems of their own. However, this respect should also be extended into schools. It's just as important to understand respect and manners as it is to know about basic academics. It's a skill that must be learned in order to succeed in life. Why wait until the real world hits you in the face? Be ahead of the game. Be respectful.
It's not just a teen problem
Teens have a lot of learning to do when it comes to respect, but I've seen parents show the same level of disrespect. From parent to parent and parent to teacher, respect can get lost at times. Keep in mind that your child is always learning from you whether you realize it or not. Be a good example and set respect as a high standard.
